The cricketing community was in awe of Virat Kohli after he broke Sachin Tendulkar's twin records in India's 2023 Cricket World Cup semi-final against New Zealand in Mumbai.
With his 117 off 113 balls against the Kiwis, Virat Kohli became the only man to score 50 centuries in One-Day Internationals (ODIs) and the first player to cross the 700-run mark in a single edition of the World Cup.
Virat Kohli completed his third hundred in the current edition of the World Cup against the Kiwis in the “City of Dreams” after his tons against Bangladesh and South Africa earlier in the prestigious tournament.
Virat Kohli is now the first cricketer to score 50 centuries in the 50-over format, surpassing Sachin Tendulkar's 49.
The ex-India captain, who has been in red-hot form in the World Cup, looked scratchy at the start of his knock after arriving at the crease following the fall of Rohit Sharma.
But Rohit Sharma should be credited for allowing Virat Kohli to build his innings as he gave India a lightning-quick start.
Rohit Sharma came out all guns blazing at the start of the Indian innings, racing to 47 off 28 balls with the help of four sixes and an equal number of boundaries.
Rohit Sharma's blitzkrieg meant that the Men in Blue raced to 71/0 in just over eight overs before the India captain departed.
After Rohit Sharma perished, Virat Kohli joined Shubman Gill in the middle.
With Shubman Gill firing on all cylinders, the 35-year-old bided his time but kept the scoreboard ticking with singles, doubles, and occasional boundaries.
Slowly but steadily, Virat Kohli moved closer and closer to his 50th ODI hundred.
As things looked perfect, drama unfolded with Virat Kohli in his 90s. First, the New Zealand fielders missed a few opportunities to send him back to the pavilion, dropping half catches, and second, Virat Kohli suffered cramps.
Nonetheless, Virat Kohli got up and running and eventually brought up his ton in 106 balls.
After completing his 80th hundred in international cricket, Virat Kohli put his foot on the accelerator before getting dismissed for 117.
What's remarkable about Virat Kohli is that he brought up his 50th three-figure score in the 50-over format in 279 innings, while Sachin Tendulkar needed 451 essays for his 49.
Furthermore, King Kohli broke Sachin Tendulkar's other record as he became the highest run-scorer in a single edition of the World Cup.
With his 117 against the Black Caps, he took his tally to 711 runs in the 2023 Cricket World Cup. On the other hand, Sachin Tendulkar made 673 in the 2003 edition in South Africa.
It was Virat Kohli's eighth fifty-plus score in the 2023 Cricket World Cup, making him the first man to do so in a single edition of the quadrennial event.
Sachin Tendulkar and Shakib Al Hasan had seven such scores in 2003 and 2019, respectively.
New Zealand captain Kane Williamson described Virat Kohli as the “ultimate competitor.”
“A phenomenal player and just the ultimate competitor, he goes out there, he loves the occasion and he's been outstanding for us throughout this whole tournament. And to go out and do what he did today, giving us a chance, albeit a slim chance, but you will take anything when you're chasing 400, was a fine effort from a world-class player,” Kane Williamson stated.
“If you play 50 games, some people would call that a great career, but to get 50 hundreds. There's a lot of attention and that comes with a lot of his success, but actually it was always about pushing his team forward. So he's the best isn't he? And he seems to be getting better, which is a worry for opposition all around the world. It's incredible really,” the New Zealand skipper added.
1983 World Cup winner Sunil Gavaskar said that Virat Kohli was century-hungry.
“The next best (among active players) is Rohit Sharma with 31. So it just tells you the vast gap between him and the rest. People are run-hungry, he is century-hungry. And his hunger for centuries are insatiable and that is how it should be. Every batter worth his salt should put a minimum price of 100 against his name,” Sunil Gavaskar said on India Today.
“That is what he is doing in every match. In this tournament itself, he could have got three more centuries. A couple of times he has gone past 50 and got out after that and so he has been in phenomenal form. And he has made every match count,” he observed.
Meanwhile, legendary all-rounder Ravi Shastri backed Virat Kohli to break Sachin Tendulkar's record of 100 tons in international cricket. The Delhi-born cricketer took his tally to 80 after his hundred against New Zealand.
“Who would have thought when Sachin Tendulkar got 100 hundreds that anyone would come close? And, he's got 80; 80 international hundreds, 50 of them in the one-day game, which makes him the highest. Unreal,” the ex-India coach said on The ICC Review.
“Nothing's impossible because such players, when they start reeling off hundreds, then they score them pretty quickly. His next 10 innings, you might see another five hundreds. You have three formats of the game, and he's part of all those formats. To think that he still has three or four years of cricket ahead of him is simply mind-boggling,” Ravi Shastri noted.
“I think his composure, his body language, his calmness at the crease (in this WC). I have seen him come out in previous World Cups where he's like a cat on a hot tin roof. He wanted to get on with it straight away. None of that sort here. He's taken his time, marked his guard, soaked the pressure, given himself time, and understood his role of batting deep in the innings. He's just been wonderful,” he explained.
Many other former cricketers took to social media to hail “King Kohli” as he went on top of the tree among men with the most ODI centuries.
“That's a World Cup moment to treasure in the history books. 50th ODI hundred and celebrating with utmost respect to the little master. Genius,” former Australian cricketer Brad Hogg tweeted.
“Kohli's century – a cricketing blockbuster with a script that deserves all the applause! 50 -One Day Hundreds!” veteran India batter Shikhar Dhawan wrote on the microblogging platform.
“Virat Kohli's 50th ODI hundred is not just a number. It's an extraordinary tale of cricketing greatness. Well done champ!” Virat Kohli's former India teammate Robin Uthappa elaborated.
“Here's the moment we've all been waiting for! Virat Kohli, the maestro, crafting another magnificent century & achieving the milestone of scoring most centuries in one day cricket! Absolute brilliance, King Kohli!” ex-India cricketer Suresh Raina concluded.
On Sunday, India will take on five-time champions Australia in the 2023 Cricket World Cup final at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad.
On Thursday, the Pat Cummins-led side defeated South Africa by three wickets in the second semifinal in Kolkata.
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